


The Choices Left to Us

by OnceAndAlwaysEnglishMajor



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, M/M, Suicide, dramatic teensgers, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 21:16:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15542328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceAndAlwaysEnglishMajor/pseuds/OnceAndAlwaysEnglishMajor
Summary: Shisui’s gone, and Itachi finds he doesn’t have many choices left.





	The Choices Left to Us

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy it, Goth Senpai!

    “We’ll figure it out,” Shisui said. “Together, we can solve anything.” And Itachi believed him. 

 

    “Shisui, no,” Itachi whispered to the empty air, to the space Shisui had been. He was too late. He saved Shisui, but not soon enough. He wasn’t enough for Shisui to live for to risk another attack from Danzo. “But I came back,” he said. “I saved you. You said we would figure it out together, Shisui. Why are you leaving me like this?” Itachi lowered himself to the ground, the effort of standing too much for him to take. He let his feet dangle over the edge of the cliff. It would be so easy to tip over the edge, to follow Shisui. But he had a responsibility. To Shisui, to Sasuke, to the village, to his clan. He had to come through for them. He had to. There was no one else left. 

Shisui didn’t return, and the rumors started. The whispers stopped when Itachi got close, but he knew what they were saying. That he killed Shisu to test his skills. His heart broke a little farther with every sideways glance, every quiet conversation that stopped when he got close. If only they knew. He was trying to  _ save  _ them, dammit. Itachi, always a quiet child, retreated further into himself. And the whispers just got louder. Itachi wasn’t surprised when they finally confronted him. He denied having anything to do with  Shisui’s disappearance, his tone never wavering from condensation. But his heart cracked a little farther. It  _ was  _ his fault. As much as if he’d pushed Shisui off the cliff. He hadn’t been quick enough. His failing had resulted in Shisui’s death. He closed his eyes and again saw Shisui standing on the edge of the cliff, felt the overwhelming helplessness of being unable to do anything to change his mind. Shisui decided the best course of action was to sacrifice his own life, to keep his remaining eye from Danzo. Leaving Itachi alone to deal with the problem of their clan’s impending coup. 

Itachi visited the cliff face often. It was reassuring, in a twisted, morbid, way. He talked to Shisui while he was there. 

“I’m running out of options, Shisui. The clan doesn’t trust me any more. They’ve decided I’m responsible for your death. They’re not wrong, but it’s not how they think.The Hokage is putting pressure on me to find a solution before they move forward with Danzo’s plan to just wipe everyone out. But I don’t even know if that’s the worst option  anymore. They’re so proud, Shisui. No is as good as a Uchiha. Fools, every one of them. Do they even consider what the results of this coup would be? Either they fail, and everyone is wiped out anyway, and the power structure of the five great nations is destabilized. Or they succeed in taking over, and the balance of power is still destabilized. Either way, the result is another war. Why can’t they see, Shisui? Why is this mad grab for power the only option?” Itachi sighed, pressing his face into the grass. “Is there even a point, Shisui? Where are you, to remind me why I’m fighting?” 

The days slowly ate away Itachi’s will to live. The only thing that kept him going was Sasuke. How could he make this a world his little brother could grow up in? He could already see the Uchiha pride taking root in his baby brother. The coup was imminent and he was out of options. What could he do for Sasuke? His clan was doomed. They sealed their fate by choosing this path, and Itachi alone couldn’t save them. But Sasuke...there had to be something he could do for Sasuke. The choices of the clan meant his options were limited. He could let them rebel. If they succeeded, Sasuke would grow up in a world rent by war, most likely killed young in battle. If they rebelled and failed… that was a death sentence. But… if he was the one to execute Danzo’s plan… He could spare Sasuke. He would be branded a villian, a cold blooded killer who eliminated his own clan to test his strength. But Sasuke would live. The Hokage would have to protect him, if he wanted the narrative to stick, if he didn’t want the knowledge that he supported the elimination of a whole clan to become public. That, that, Itachi could do. He set to work on the scrolls and series of fail safes. He talked to a few trusted informants outside of his clan, through encrypted channels, of course, ensuring that the council of elders would receive his threat. If anything happened to Sasuke, the whole truth would come out, Itachi was nothing if not thorough. He was trapped, there were no choices left, but this he could do. This one small act of rebellion, protecting Sasuke, was all that was left to him. The time of the Uchiha was at an end, but Sasuke would live. 

 

Itachi sat on the edge of the cliff, clothes soaked in blood. 

“There was no other choice, Shisui. It was betray my clan or see the world plunged into war… I did what had to be done. They’re all gone now. Our friends. Our families. Everyone. But I, I cheated,” Itachi choked out, sobs wracking his slight frame. “I protected Sasuke. They’ll, they’ll blame me. I’m a monster, now. There is no life left for me. But I saved him, Shisui, and I ensured they can’t touch him, or the whole truth will come out. I, I hope it’s enough. That you’re at peace now.” Itachi stood, balanced on the very edge. “I hope… I hope my spirit can find peace as well.” He jumped. 


End file.
